Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-07-15
DOCTORS In COUNCIL.
Annual Meeting of the Iowa and Hill
n0is District Medical Association
Election of Officers Etc.


Election of Officers, Etc.
The Iowa and Illinois Central District
Medical Association held its annual meet
ing at the Academy Of Science, Dayen.
port, yesterday afternoon. The attend
ance was larger than usual. DR.. ]. W.
H. Baker, the retiring president, deliy-
cred the annuel address of the executive
to the societg, which was an able docu-
ment on Medical Vagaries He said
that frogs and cats were formerly used as
material for physiological demonstration
before classes of medical students, but
that they have been superseded by dogs
and rabbits for vigisection purposes.
DR. Baker said that hydrophobia, the
result If the dog bite. is now cured. or
supposedto be cured, by the Innocula>
ton of cultivated baccilli from an in
fected spinal marrow of the rabbit. Il
is not necessary to enter into a desCrlp>
ton OF the complicated steps aud opera
tions necessary TO the procurement of a
cultivated iunoCulation virus of prope:
strength for use in the prevention and
cure of the disease; be believed that no
medical discovery was ever so extensively
ritten up for the public print as this
which Pasteur offers to the people as a
protection from the effects of the bite Of
rabid dogs, and which has been lauded
by the profession, as well as received by
popular favor. the world over. This
operation of Pasteurs for protection
from and cure of hydrophobia has now
been tested for tine sufficient to come
to some conclusion as 10 its merits-and
for himself, he believed there is room to
doubt its efficiency. When We make the
comparison as to the great number Of
persons bitten by dogs supposed to be
rabid and the number of these who de-
velop the disease. even although they re-
ceived no special treatment, we find the
vast majority as being unaffected; and
where the estimate is fairly made the
number is found only as one in thous>
ands where dog bite results in the De-
vclopment of rabies. PasteuI's success
can only be numbered as successful in
about the above proportion. That is to
say he loses about the same proportionate
number of his cases that usually died of
this disease before his discovery.
The doctor then touched on the fash
ion Of medicine. which he said was near
IL as chanaeable as the fashion III cloth
ing, In regard 10 christian science he
said that while Thompson, Mcsmer and
Hahnemsn are each father to a special
practice, the public are now called upon
10 acknowledge and patronize a sort OF
Immaculate conception, founded OF moth.
ued By Mrs. Eddy. Of Boston. The
president enlarged upon this subject with
abundant quotations citing marvelou:
cures. showing the difference between
mioG cure and medical cure, deDunciat
ton OF the use OF the me5iGiue-claimiDe
that TO employ drugs for the cure Of
disease shows lack of faith in God, the
divine principle Of all harmony The
Christian Science never gives medicine
never recommends hygiene, never maGip7
ulates He never tries TO focus mind
He never places patient and practictionel
back to back. never cOnsIlts spirits mol
requires the life history of the patient
Above all, he cannot tresps=s on the
right Of mi8d through animal magnet
ism; I need not add that tobacco and in.
toxicatiDg drinks are not in league viii
christian science" The doctor said Mrs
Eddy is all right in the last clause OF this
paragraph, if in nothing else, for honest
medical science shoIll not be in league"
with tobacco or intoxicating drinks.
DR.. Baker said that Mrs. EddFs only tex
book, the bible, her instructor in theory
aud practice. her guide in argument, ant
sole reliance, is not hers alone; for the
spiritualist, milIerite and al religious
sects base their distinctive argument, anC
much resemble the insane lady who, will
her own fingers In the night while con
confined ii her room IN tine lows
inaaue asylum, dug out her eye ant
suck II on the ceIlinE. when asket
the reason for such IN act replied; Doe
not the Bible say, When thine eye
offend thee puck IL cut Christ cure,
by touch, and even those who tauche,
his garment vert said 10 hp heated; such
cure is TeeOTdedby his question, VII
touched me- for virtue has gone on
from ne. Il virtue departs from SOM
Of the Christian scientists as readily as il
this case, many Of its female practitioner
would have lost their virtue long ago
In thu case OF one who vas possessed 0
devil and the devil WAS ordered TO de
part from bin, there was no medicin
used, neither was their evidence that tn
command was given by mind in silence
but the devil obeyed the command ant
came out. and entsred the herd of swine
and the swine ran into the lake and wer
drowned 1t does not say the devil wa
drowned for we think he evidently exist
among humankind,
If real Christians were to carefully rea
Mrs. Eddy's book on Science an
Health, he or she could hardly come t
any other conclusion than that dishonest
or insanity was the prevailing disease.
The address was listened to with earn
est attention that all shle aud interestin
, efforts always ELECTS, its hits causin
roars of laughter
Election Of officers for the eusuin